After nearly 50 years of up-and-down seasons, the Wyoming football program took a major step forward when a young coach named Bowden Wyatt was hired in 1947. After two 4-5 campaigns in 1947 and 1948, the Cowboys began a roll. It began in 1949, when they went 9-1 including wins over Colorado State, Utah, BYU and Utah State. Where Wyatt really came through was in his fourth season. He was the architect of the greatest season in Cowboy Football history.

In 1950, UW was a perfect 10-0, with a Gator Bowl victory over Washington & Lee. UW was one of just three unbeaten teams in the nation that season. To this day, it remains the only team in Cowboy history to be unbeaten and win a bowl. In six seasons, Wyatt won 39 games, more than the previous five coaches combined. In just three seasons, Wyatt and Wyoming went from the bottom of the league to two conference titles in 1949 and 1950. Wyatt went on to coach Arkansas and Tennessee until 1962, and he was a National Football Foundation Hall of Fame inductee in 1997.

About the #120CowboyTough Countdown

The 2013 season will mark the 120th anniversary of Wyoming Cowboy Football. To commemorate that anniversary, we will be counting down some of the great memories and moments from Wyoming football history over the next eight weeks leading up to the Cowboys' season opener at Nebraska on Aug. 31.

The 2013 "Countdown to Kickoff" will take Wyoming fans through Cowboy Football history chronologically. The first week will highlight some of the memorable moments from the period from the first season in 1893 through the 1940s. Then each successive week, the countdown will recall great moments from the 1950s, `60s, 70s, 80, 90s, 2000s and the current decade.

Our countdown will only touch on some of the greatest moments, but we encourage you, the Wyoming fans, to share your favorite memories through the official University of Wyoming Athletics Twitter (@wyoathletics) and Facebook pages (Wyoming Cowboys). Fans are encouraged to use #120CowboyTough when sharing their memories.

Enjoy the countdown, and we look forward to seeing you in War Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7 for the home opener versus the Idaho Vandals.